Preparing my Vegetable Gardens

The big sky is barely light, the morning young. My sidekick, Harvey Bean is eager to get outside to do his business, chase gophers and deer and try to fly after the pheasant, geese and assorted birds picking at morning breakfast bugs. Harvey Bean is a 75 lb. labradoodle, just a year and a half and doesn’t quite understand that he can’t fly like the birdies that distance themselves from him. He turns to look at me with dismay each time they fly away.

Harvs and I are headed out this morning to start preparing the garden for sowing. It’s Montana so the grow season is short and challenging. When seeds and seedlings are planted in late May the chance of frost, snow or a radical dip in temperature is expected and must be anticipated. The garden is bordered by horse corral wrapped in chicken wire then wrapped in plastic snow fence. This fencing decreases wind and snow damage to my crops. When the 12’ x 12’ raised garden was originally designed twelve years ago cutting the plastic fencing was laborious. My husband and I had measured and laid out yards of the plastic fencing; preparing exact pieces to wrap the plastic fencing to the chicken wire and corral. I would cut my part, then he cut his; each of us asking of the other, “toss me the Fiskars.” We had other types of scissors, but the Fiskars made a true cut each time, the first time. Over the years we added two additional gardens, one bordered in chain link fencing, and one just chicken wire, both wrapped in the same, green plastic snow fence. Lay out the plastic, measure and cut. Our scissors got a good workout.

The snow fencing is attached to the metal fencing with thin wire wrapped in green plastic. The wire comes in a roll with a small cutter attached. Hours and hours were spent fixing the snow fencing to the chicken wire or chain link fencing using six inch strips of the wire. Without fail, the cutter that came with the roll of wire would break, I would swear and then reach for the Fiskars. They would be dirty, a little dull from so much use; but they still did the job. From season to season we‘d consider buying a new pair. My smart and thrifty husband surprised me one day as he had actually cleaned and filed our favorite tool. The scissors were like new again.

Did I mention the weather? I live very rural, twenty or so miles outside of Great Falls, the windiest city in the United States. The winds are fierce and unrelenting. The winter temperature can drop to -30 degrees and stay there for days and weeks. Every year about forty percent of the green wire breaks and must be replaced. Pull out the Fiskars, cut wire strips and repair. That’s what I’m doing this morning. There is no wind so I can sit at the wooden, slated table that abuts against the outside of the northeast corner of the main garden and cut strips. Harvey plays on the lawn bothering a squeaky toy. He occasionally stops his play and looks up at me as if to say, “stop cutting, Mom and play with me.” I do not.

I was too eager this year and planted seedlings and potato starters in mid-May as it had been in the low 70’s for a week. Of course, the bi-polar Montana weather was then predicted to take a turn and dip below freezing a few days after. And there would be snow. So, I rallied some friends and we spent the day before the bad weather was to set in cutting sheets of protective sheeting to drape the young growths. Fiskars to the rescue again. The bad weather battered my garden for a week, dumping 4” of snow on my gardens. Luckily and amazingly, over 95% of my babies survived.

Gardening is my passion. Keeping my gardens protected and in tip-top shape is tantamount to a successful yield. Planting, sowing, reaping, canning, freezing and drying are all a part of processing my yield. Each year I can approximately 150 jars of vegetables, including salsa and sun-dried tomatoes packed in olive oil. Almost a third of my fresh veggies and canned goodies are donated to the local Rescue Mission (Chef Woody loves the fresh veggies) and others in need. From wrapping the garden to trimming and reaping the plants, I utilize several types of Fiskar cutting tools for every part of my gardening efforts. They get the job done.